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Organisers of the All England Club posted a video of the inspirational moment, saying it was an "honour" to welcome the veteran as a cherished guest.

Mrs Lofthouse, now a widow, was one of a select group of women to serve in the Air Transport Auxiliary service from 1943 onwards, alongside her older sister.

She was responsible for delivering planes including Spitfires and Hurricanes from the factories and for transporting them between airfields to ensure Britain's entire aerial defence network was covered.

Introducing her to Centre Court, Sue Barker said: "The All England Club has a long and proud association with the Armed Forces and we're honoured today to be joined by one of the very few female pilots who served in the Second World War.

"Among the aircraft she flew were Spitfires and Hurricanes. Centre Court please show your appreciation for Joy Lofthouse."

The retired teacher, wearing a bright pink jacket with a Spitfire lapel pin, clasped her hands together and grinned with emotion as loud cheers and applause then rang out through the famous venue.

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Mrs Lofthouse, who flew Spitfires during the war, was delighted by the applause

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The veteran seemed genuinely moved by the warmth of the crowd

ATA pilots often had to brave treacherous conditions and dangerous night flying in the line of duty.

It claimed the lives of a number of volunteers including Amy Johnson, who had become famous for setting world records for flying long-distances, and who died in 1941 after baling out in cloud over the Thames estuary.

Mrs Lofthouse, who hails from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, was one of only 164 women who served with the elite unit during the war.

The small group of female pilots were dubbed the 'Attagirls' and were based at White Waltham in Berkshire.

They were trained to fly a bewildering 38 types of aircraft across the country - ranging from nimble fighters to huge bombers - and were treated no differently to the men, other than not being allowed to take part in combat.

In an interview Mrs Lofthouse explained why she signed up, saying: "When the war broke out all our boyfriends would talk about was flying.

"So when we saw the advert we both decided to apply."

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Sir Bobby Charlton was amongst the star-studded crowd on Centre Court

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Current military servicemen and women also looked on with pride

Speaking about the job, she revealed: "The weather was our biggest enemy. There were a couple of times when I thought I'd lost one of my nine lives."

But she added: "It really was the best job to have during the war because it was exciting, and we could help the war effort. In many ways we were trailblazers for female pilots in the RAF."

Last year Mrs Lofthouse had the chance to go up in a Spitfire for the first time since the end of the war as Britain marked the service and sacrifice of the ATA pilots.

At the time she expressed her delight and said: "The Spitfire is such a wonderful plane. It's the nearest thing to having wings of your own and flying."